It was mid-morning the next day when Bom peered inside her room. She had woken up early in the morning and was busy making another batch of oatmeal cookies. It was her dad's favorite, and Dragon's too. She made enough for her to bring to the hospital and she left some for Dragon too.

She gave a long glance to the cat curled up on her bed and patted its back. Dragon, won't you come back? she thought with a sigh. The cat slowly stretched its white body and shook its head.

"Dragon, I made the oatmeal cookies that you love," Bom spoke up, her voice trembling a little, but she heard no response. She remembered that day when she and Dragon made cookies together. And his warmth that she felt.

As if to comfort her, the cat climbed up on Bom's lap and rested its head on her thigh. Has Dragon really faded away? Bom thought although she quickly blocked those negative thoughts out of her head. No, no, no, Dragon won't go away just like that.

"I'm going back to the hospital today," Bom said out loud again, in the hope that a familiar voice would answer her back. "Dragon, I won't leave you here..."

She gave one last pat to the cat's head before she picked him up again. Sorry you have to spend the rest of the day inside my bag again, Bom thought as she carefully placed the cat inside her backpack again. Her eyes roamed around her room in search of the familiar glowing figure. She searched every nook and cranny of her room, each shelves, each painting, but none of the comforting spirit that called himself Dragon.

I first met you here in this room. You even scared me. But I always thought that I'll find you here. It never came to my mind that one day you'll just be gone...

~~

Bom's father had regained his consciousness early in the morning and was transferred out of the ICU and to a regular hospital room at the fifth floor of the hospital. Bom's mother had phoned her earlier to let her know where they were. It was early noon and although the doctors had advised him to get sufficient rest, Bom's father was already working. 

The director sat on his hospital bed. Mountains of documents were piled on his lap and he browsed through them with a firm expression, with occasional grunts and sighs. Bom's mother could only watch helplessly.

"Yeobo, the doctors said you should still be resting," she said.

"What do they know?" he let out. "I am the director here, I know myself better than them."

At the same moment, the door softly opened and in came Bom who tried her hardest to show a bright smile. She bowed to her parents and placed the brown bag of cookies she carried on the bedside table. Her father's face lit up for a moment when Bom came in.

"Appa..." Bom bowed once more and apologized with her head hung low. "I'm really sorry with the way I acted last night."

Bom's father looked up and took off his glasses. He nodded to her and said, "I'm sorry too for the words that I didn't mean. What happened was not your fault. It's from too much stress, I think."

"Yeobo, that's why I said you should take a rest first," her mother quipped and took away the papers in his hand.

"Arasseo," he chuckled heartily. He looked once again at Bom and gave her a smile. "I won't interfere with your ambitions anymore, Bommie. You can do whatever you want, as long as you bring home a son-in-law who can inherit all these."

"Yeobo!"

"Appa!"

"Hahaha, I was just kidding you," he said with another laugh. He reached out for the bag of cookies the Bom brought for him. "Ohh, are these my favorite?"

"Ne, appa, I made a lot so all these are for you," Bom said and tried hard to stop her tears from forming in her eyes. "Kamsahamnida, kamsahamnida," she finally said and bowed down to hide her tear-filled eyes.

"It's nothing, dear." her dad said and took a handful of cookies. "I'll just get this. I guess I'm still not well enough to eat them all."

"Ahh, jinja?" Bom looked at the cookies left in the bag. "I'll just give them to Dragon later."

"Dragon?" his eyebrows furrowed. "Is that the name of your boyfriend? That's a very weird name, though."

"A-aniyo, appa," Bom shook her head. "It's my cat."

Something stirred inside Bom's backpack when the aroma of cookies filled the room. With twitching nose, the cat poked its white head out of her bag. It jumped on the bed and followed the trail of the cookie's scent. Bom's father looked at the cat with eyes wide open.

"W-who? What?" he stammered while the cat gobbled a piece of cookie.

"This is Dragon, appa."

~~

Late in the afternoon, almost close to sunset when Bom had to go home. She said her goodbyes not with a bow but with hugs and kisses. The cat was cradled safely in her arms together with the half-empty bag of cookies. Although pets weren't allowed, her father gave her special permission just for her. 

Everything was all okay now. Except for one thing. Dragon, where are you, Bom thought and walked towards the elevator. She was about to press the 'down' button but the cat fearlessly leaped off her arms.

"Oh?" Bom exclaimed as her eyes followed the cat who pranced towards the opposite direction. The cat looked back to Bom and purred.

"Yaa, Dragon, where are you going?" Bom shouted with her eyes wide and follows the cat towards the opposite corridor.

~~